Honda puts final touches to new compact SUV (HR-V)

Already on sale in Japan as the Vezel and revealed in North America as the HR-V, the European version of the new compact SUV has yet to be given a name, although Honda sources confirmed to Autocar at the Vezel’s Tokyo motor show reveal last year that Vezel would not be used here.

The HR-V name was also used on a compact SUV that launched in the UK in 1999.

Whatever name Honda decides on for it, the model will line up against the likes of the Nissan Juke, Vauxhall Mokka and Ford EcoSport in a segment rapidly growing in popularity in the UK and further afield.

The new SUV is based on the underpinnings on the next-generation Jazz (FIT here), another model that’s already been revealed and is on sale in other global markets without having made it to Europe yet. As with the next-gen Jazz, the compact SUV will not be built at Honda’s Swindon plant.

The core engine is set to be a version of Honda’s 1.6-litre turbodiesel found in the Civic and CR-V. Options elsewhere include a direct injection, four cylinder 1.5-litre hybrid and Honda’s new 1.0-litre three-cylinder turbo motor, although no detail has been given by Honda Europe on an engine line-up for either the new SUV or the upcoming Jazz replacement. (We in North America will only be getting the 1.5L 130hp).

The car is expected to be offered with both manual transmission and a seven-speed double clutch gearbox.

As these spy pictures of the model testing in the Alps reveal, the styling will not radically depart from the versions of the SUV on sale in other global markets. The chassis will be tweaked to suit European tastes, while the interior trim and specification is likely to be upgraded for the same reasons.

Source;
http://www.autocar.co.uk/car-news/scoop/honda-puts-final-touches-new-compact-suv